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Saturday, May 14, 2011

Raspberry Filled Buttermilk Scones

This recipe is just perfect for brunch. The scone is familiar and comforting and the fruity filling makes for a lovely little surprise in the middle. You can use almost any jam or filling you have on hand, and the recipe can be doubled for larger crowds. The recipe originally calls for a food processor, which I don't have, so I included food-processor free directions as well. Just be sure not to over mix the scone dough as the texture can quickly go from light and tender to tough and dry when mixed with too much vigor. But if you keep your mixing and kneading to a minimum, in very little time you will have a steaming batch of buttery, flaky, fruit filled scones. Impressive and delicious!

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place the flours, baking powder, and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade and pulse until combined. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the buttermilk and zest and pulse until the dough is just combined.****

For people who don't have a food processor, place flours, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Using two knifes or a pastry blender, cut butter into flour mixture until mixture resembles coarse meal (no bigger than pea size clumps of butter). Add buttermilk and zest and mix until just combined (use a wooden spoon or your hands).

Shape the scones: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Place an 18-inch sheet of parchment paper on a work surface and sprinkle it lightly with flour. Transfer the dough to the paper and, with floured hands, gently press the dough into a 12- by 12-inch square; the dough should be about 3/4 inch thick.

Cut out two 6-inch circles, reshape the remaining dough into a 3/4-inch-thick square, and cut out one more 6-inch circle. Gather the remaining scraps and form into one final 6-inch circle. (basically you will end up with four equally sized circles).

Place 1/4 cup of jam on two of the circles. Top each with the remaining dough rounds and pinch the sides shut.

Using a knife, score the top of each scone with a large cross marking 4 quadrants. Sprinkle the tops with sugar. Transfer scones to the prepared pan and bake until golden -- 30 to 35 minutes.